Tiger captured could be one of big cats frequenting Bhopal jungles

A tiger, aged about 3 years, was captured by a forest department team near Ghunsi village in Shajapur district on Monday. Interestingly, forest department sources said, the captured tiger is one of the cubs of the tiger T2 that is often seen in the forests of Kerwa and Kaliasot on the outskirts of Bhopal.

The tiger which had been wandering in a area 40 km away from Shajapur town, was captured on Monday morning. Photo/HT

A tiger, aged about 3 years, was captured by a forest department team near Ghunsi village in Shajapur district on Monday. Interestingly, forest department sources said, the captured tiger is one of the cubs of the tiger T2 that is often seen in the forests of Kerwa and Kaliasot on the outskirts of Bhopal.

The place where the tiger was found has no forest cover but only thickets. The area also has had no recorded tiger presence for decades. In fact, Shajapur district has negligible forest cover.

Additional principal chief conservator of forests (APCCF), Ujjain, P C Dubey said the tiger was captured from the bed of the Kali Sindh river near Ghunsi village, about 25 kms from Shajapur district. The tiger had been sighted in the area first on January 3 after which plans were made to rescue it.

“The tiger has been radiocollared and will be released at Satpura tiger reserve on Monday night,” said APCCF, wildlife, RP Singh.

Sources in the forest department said that photographs of the tiger taken on January 5 matched with two- year- old pictures of a cub of T2.

On January 10, two elephants from Satpura tiger reserve were moved to Shajapur along with the rescue squad from Van Vihar to capture the tiger after the big cat made a cattle kill on the river bed.

On Monday morning, the tiger was tranquilized by the rescue squad veterinarian and was fitted with a VHF radiocollar.

A large crowd gathered at the spot out of curiosity. Sources said that there was hardly and police or district administration representatives at the spot. However, forest staff managed to take the tiger away in the rescue vehicle.

Wildlife authorities confirmed that the tiger was in fact from the streak of tigers from Ratapani sanctuary that often made forays into the forest areas adjoining Bhopal.